1.09.2013

momofuku daishō

10.09.12

As
word got out that Chef and restauranteur David Chang would be bringing his
momofuku restaurant empire up across the border to Canada, anticipation amped
up quick. Then it was announced that the Canadian outpost would be in Toronto,
at the yet-to-be-finished Shangri-La hotel in the form of a three-level,
quadruple restaurant concept. Finally, after waiting for what seemed like an
eternity, they finally opened individually at the beginning of September!

momofuku daishō

3/f, 190 University ave.

Toronto, ON

647 253 8000

Transit: get out of Osgoode station (walk south 2 min) OR St. Andrew station (walk north 2 min)

During
the first few opening months, most of the staff/cooks are from New York
momofuku restaurants to ensure a smooth transition. Chef Matt Blondin (formerly
of Acadia) was hired as executive sous-chef at daisho. I remember seeing
openings for server positions and actually toyed with that idea for a few
minutes, before remembering that I have zero experience. :(

check out the impressive façade of the momofuku restaurants! The 5-million
sculpture out front is “Rising” by Chinese sculptor Zhang Huan.

On
the first floor, you’ll find long communal white oak tables. Noodle Bar is the
ramen and famous pork buns concept of the restaurant. Opened to mixed reviews,
I have yet to go so I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt. It’s been months
since then so things will surely have picked up.

I
don’t know what kind of budget David Chang was playing with but what him and
designer J.K. Cheng & The Design Agency came up with is nothing short of
beautiful. Very clean lines and geometry dominate. Simplicity is hard to
achieve.

One
half-level up, is nikai (bar/lounge concept). On the next floor is daishō
(large formats), where a couple friends and I were headed for late dinner. I
was starving! When I asked our server the intent behind the seemingly random
numbering of the menu items, he said that the numbers in Chinese are supposed
to be ones that bear bad luck (more twisted Chang-humour?). Uhh…a few of them
yes, but not all. Maybe it’s more true in Japanese?

Thank
you so much for this light cucumber salad as we were browsing the menu! Maybe
they brought this over because my stomach growling was disturbing the others.

Apple
Soup – bee pollen, sunchoke, balconville tincture (9)

Considering
we came in September, it’s apple season so no doubt it’d figure in the menu.
This was a pleasant surprise though because we didn’t order it. Hmm, thanks
Matt! Similar to my meal at Acadia (sorry for the comparison but I was doing
that unconsciously), there were many elements on each dish that were foreign to
me. Bring it on!

Flank
Steak – kimchi, bib lettuce, onions (23)

The
meat comes from McGee Farms in Ontario. This seemed to me a mini version of
their large format meal, the ribeye ($600 for 6-8 people). Admittedly
delicious, it was still pricey.

Egg
– smoked roe, juniper, seaweed (12)

The
eggs come from Everspring Farms here in Ontario. Before coming, I’d seen a few
photos of this creation floating around on twitter so I may have heavily swayed
my friends to order this. In hindsight, hard to share but a great showcase of
technique!

(clockwise
from the top left)

Wild
Rice – stinky tofu, oyster mushroom, yuzu (12)

The
rice is from Forbes Wild Foods in Toronto.

Nugget
Potato – fermented black bean, chili, orange (12)

Rice
Cakes – pork sausage, Chinese broccoli, tofu (15)

Brussels
Sprouts – fish sauce, puffed rice, mint (12)

There
are similar elements/garnishes on each dish (not an uncommon sight), but the
flavour profile and textures were very distinct from one dish to the next. The
rice cakes really stood out for me. I’d order that again in a heartbeat!!

It’s
apparent that while planning the move to Toronto of his restaurants, David
Chang started establishing relations with local farmers and growers. Not having
prior relationships to purveyors here, it wasn’t easy at first to secure
consistent supplies of his needed products. Glad that everything came together
in the end!

Verdict: The apple
soup was a highlight for me. Soups are one of my weaknesses and this one made
my knees weak. I loved the interplay of textures in the wild rice…rather, in
every dish! Although I don’t have the menu for the 22-course meal offered at shōtō,
I’d love to come back to daishō for one of their large format meals! Now I await the arrival of Chef Tosi's milk bar! :D (one can wish!)

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About Me

Hey, I'm Carmen and thanks for stopping by! I'm interested in all things food-related. Here, I'll be sharing my food adventures with you. The idea is to give you a taste of what to expect and hopefully, if you like what you see, you'll check out the restaurant / try the recipe too!
I spend my days at school, in the bakery, in the gym, on a boat or hermitting indoors studying. Eating out is a privilege that I appreciate and when the opportunity comes along, YOU GOTTA TAKE IT. Happy eating! :D